Restaurants offer escape from economic woes

NEW YORKDespite all of the stormy speculation surrounding the U.S. economy in general and the restaurant industry in particular, some silver linings are making their way through the clouds.

Consumers, the lifeblood of both the macro economy and the restaurant industry, are likely to begin seeking an escape from the mounds of negative data, including the record-low confidence ratings, sky-high unemployment figures, and declining stock market and home values, ac